The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday questioned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over its probe into the rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, saying the central agency has failed to make any breakthrough in the case since it took over the investigation from Kolkata Police over three weeks ago.
At a press conference addressed by two ministers – Education Minister Bratya Basu and Industry Minister Shashi Panja – the party said that “within 24 hours” of the incident, Kolkata Police “arrested the main culprits”, but that the CBI “did not arrest anyone after that”.
“For the past 23 days, the CBI has been investigating the matter. But they are in complete silence. When Kolkata Police investigated the matter, they regularly briefed the media about the progress of its investigation. Kolkata Police also arrested the main accused within 24 hours. The CBI has not arrested a single person in this case,” Basu said.
“Now, they (CBI) have changed the direction (of the probe) and arrested four persons in a corruption case. May we conclude that apart from what the Kolkata Police gave to the CBI, there is nothing more in this case,” Basu asked.
The TMC also slammed the main Opposition party BJP, accusing it of “politicising” the issue.“The BJP and other parties… do not want justice. They are doing politics. BJP Mahila Morcha went to the State Women’s Commission office. Instead, they should go to the CBI office,” said minister Panja, adding that it was deeply affecting the sentiments of the parents of the dead junior doctor.
“The BJP has been saying that evidence has been tampered with. We want to know what evidence was tampered with. Why this silence on the part of the CBI,” Basu asked.
“Recently, the West Bengal Assembly passed the historic anti-rape Bill. While debating on the Bill, a BJP legislator said that justice should be immediately meted out to the victim’s family and the CBI would not be spared if there is any delay,” Panja said.
Panja said the junior doctor’s parents were solely seeking justice, and added that politics should not interfere with it. She also condemned the proliferation of fake videos on social media, including one suggesting the victim’s parents were bribed to stay silent, and another refuting this claim. Panja alleged that these videos are being spread by the BJP’s IT cell.
Panja called for a swift and exemplary punishment and condemned the circulation of the post-mortem report on social media, labeling it as an injustice to the victim. “The CBI should expedite the probe,” she said.
“When everyone is crying for justice, including the Trinamool Congress, politics should not come into play. We want speedy justice and exemplary punishment,” Panja added. Panja supported the doctors’ agitation, describing it as justified and expressed hope that they would resume work once the situation was addressed.
“The agitation by the doctors is justified and should be treated with empathy. Surely. they will get back to work when they feel that the time has come for them,” she added.
(With PTI Inputs)
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